Perfectly Aged 2005 and 2007 Pinot Noir from One of the Top Grand Cru Vineyards in Germany - I Have Very Little Hence the Saturday Night Weekend Offer

What Do You Do When You Have a Very Small Quantity of a Very Desirable Wine?
 -  Offer It on a Saturday Night When Almost No One is Paying Attention, of Course
 - If You Are Reading This,  Congratulations, You Just Won the Lottery
Centgrafenberg - One of the Top Red Wine Vineyards in Germany
AGED and MATURE Fruhburgunder: Geek  Nirvana Grape (Early Ripening Pinot Noir)
Insane, Insane Levels of Spice and Aromatics and Delicious Fruit
If You Want Some, Hit Reply Fast

This year, alas, I was not able to see Christoph Walter, as the call to Northern Italy is very strong this time of year for a majority of Germans looking for a quick vacation, but I managed to taste with his 17 year old son, Felix. I'm 42 years old and tasting with a 17 year old kid who knows as much about the estate and region as I do, likely more, was humbling. The estate of Josef Walter is in good hands for at least another generation. As we all know Christoph is like the Martin Müllen of the Mosel as he has his own type of release program and only releases wines when they are ready for drink or at a particularly good moment. We tasted some 11s, 12s and 13s which will be offered slowly over the next year. I also saw the list while I was there and noticed two wines on it. We were tasting at Christoph's longtime neighbor and friend Sebastien Fuerst's winery and asked Felix to run around the corner to his father's winery and grab a bottle of each as I just had to taste them. You'll understand why. There is nothing I love more than offering direct from the estate perfectly cellared wines for a pittance. Whites I have offered more but reds seem to be like finding a needle in a haystack. I've found two needles and the bonus is they are from one my favorite and most geekiest grapes of all time. That grape is Frühburghder aka Early Burgundy aka Pinot Madeline. It is a variant of Pinot Noir that is harvested 3 weeks earlier than normal Pinot Noir and in mid to late August in Burgstadt the blue netting protecting the vineyards lets you know that those are the Frühburgunder sections as those are the favorites of local hungry wild boars.

I am super honored and humbled to offer the 2005 and 2007 of Josef Walter Frühburghnder Centrgrafenberg "J" for $39.99 per bottle on a 3-pack. Christophe is holding the last few cases of each for me as I had to offer these as this is an incredible and unique opportunity.  If you like Pinot Noir, you need to try these wines.  They are very rare and hard to get and a particularly aromatic and spicy version of Pinot Noir.  I've always loved them and wanted to offer them and am thrilled to be able to sell these limited quantities of aged Fruhburgunder.

The 2005
First up is the 2005 Josef Walter Frühburghnder Centrgrafenberg "J" for $39.99 per bottle on a 3-pack.  Who can say they've had 12 year old Frühburgunder from a Grand Cru site in Germany? I'm waiting. Okay, I just literally did a load of laundry and I'm still waiting. No one has and that included me up until a few weeks ago. The 2005 is in my opinion a stunningly perfect example of aged Frühburgunder from the Centrgrafenberg, which I believe is the best vineyard in the world for his grape. I've tasted a lot of mediocre Früburgunder and can confidently say this. It has a sick and very aromatic nose of fire and brimstone with classic Früh violets and succulent red and black fruits. You will smell this for days on end. It's so aromatic. Intoxicating. The palate is just perfect and almost fully resolved with there but not there sweet tannins and flavors in more tertiary and secondary land. The wine is just so soft and has that fully resolved fruit and melty sweet tannins on my palate. It glides and has a wonderful semi opulent texture as 2005 was warm. This is something to be drunk over the next 2-3 years and it is peaking. The aged quality combined with freshness is what sets this apart. It is so good and thought provoking and shows me 09 and 10 have a ways to go. Stunning wine and fully in its window. And under $40 from one of the great vineyards in Germany.

The 2007
Up next I have the 2007 Josef Walter Frühburgunder Centgrafenberg which can be had for $39.99 on a 3-pack. This is awesome like the 2005 albeit a bit younger. Still needs 30 minutes to breathe but once it does watch out! The wine is insane. Sappy and juicy with lovely purple fruits and what sweetness and flavor authority. Aromatic that is like a violet rainstorm with sappy wet earth and minerals. Big black cherries as well and so much classic Fruh spice. More structured and dense than the 2005 due to its relative youth but still such a treat. So complex and hedonistic. I adore how heodonistic Frühburgunder can get. I think this will be best in 2-3 years but is a joy to drink now. It will eclipse the 2005 once it has a few years more of age on it.


BOTH of these are very limited and the last cases at the estate.

2005 Josef Walter Fruhburgunder Centgrafenberg "J" - $41.99 
($119.97 3-pack) (VERY LIMITED)
2007 Josef Walter Fruhburgunder Centrgrafenberg "J" - $41.99
 ($119.97 3-pack) (VERY LIMITED)